My Greatest Treasure
by sweetteasus
Summary: Pirate!England/Prisoner!Japan. The Sun Emperor's brother has been captured by the rakish scoundrel of the sea, Captain Arthur Kirkland. Kiku wants to escape but the good captain has other plans for his newest treasure. Mature in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Trouble at Sea

Hi, its me, thepia. I'm back after an extremely long hiatus, heh. Sorry about that. This is my first story in a looooooooong time and I apologize about the quality of the writing. I'm also jumping on the Pirate!England/Prisoner!Japan bandwagon too so...Anyway, let's get this over with.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia. Sorry to disappoint you.

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Kiku knew they were in trouble when he noticed the tell-tale black masts looming on the horizon. He had an inkling that their junk, the _Sakura-hime_, was being pursued, but he had shrugged it off to paranoia. He knew he had reason to be paranoid, their ship was loaded to brig with all sorts of treasures bound for Siam. Fine silk, bejeweled trinkets, spices, and other expensive goodies made up the bulk of the cargo Kiku and his brother Yong Soo had been entrusted to deliver to the king on the behalf of their sister Mei Mei. Now he knew that his earlier paranoia had been justified; these waters were rife with pirates, especially those from the West. Just his luck that it was this particular instance they were being pursued.

Steeling himself, Kiku carefully headed over to where Yong Soo was idly chatting with the first mate. Noticing that Kiku was coming towards him, Yong Soo politely excused himself and headed over to his brother.

"Nii-san, what's wrong?" Yong Soo asked. The older man shushed him and motioned for him to follow him into the captain's quarters. Once inside, Kiku looked at his brother gravely*

"Yong Soo, I believe we are being pursued by pirates." He said quietly, watching as the younger man's eyes widened in shock at his words.

"P-p-pirates? What are we going to do? We can't fight them off if they attack! And if they take our cargo, Wang will kill us! Hell, Mei Mei will kill us if we lose her dowry!" Yong Soo exclaimed, causing Kiku to shush him.

"Not so loud…I don't want to concern the crew."

"Nii-san, if we are being followed by pirates, I believe the crew deserves to know. We may not be able to hold them off but we can at least try." Kiku sighed, Yong Soo was right. It would be better to alert the crew rather than have them taken by surprise.

"I suppose. Here I was hoping that Mei Mei's marriage might go smoothly…I see I was wrong" Kiku grumbled as they left the quarters.

Instantly, he knew something was wrong. There was a flurry of activity happening and the crew seemed tense. Glancing off to the side, Kiku could see why. The black-masted ship he had spotted earlier was closing in on them and fast. His heart sank, he knew that they'd never be able to outrun it. No matter how pointless it seemed, they would have to hold them off as long as they could. Perhaps he could give them a portion of the cargo and that would satisfy them. Unsheathing his katana, he faced his crew with a look of determination.

"Ready your weapons. We will hold them off as long as we can." There was unanimous agreement as they pulled out their swords. That determination faded when he heard a loud blast and smelled the unmistakable scent of gunpowder. _Crack!_ The cannonball had hit one of their masts.

"Honda-san! We've been hit!" Hwang, the first mate, shouted. Kiku cursed loudly, know he knew they were fucked.

The ominous clipper was finally close enough to board the _Sakura-hime_. Kiku watched in horror as a long board was lowered, hitting their ship with a dull _thwack_; Westerners boarded the ship as quickly as they could, guns and swords drawn. They were outnumbered and Kiku knew that resistance was futile. Slowly, he lowered his katana as well as motioning for the rest to do the same. Men were still pouing on to the ship, surrounding them on all sides.

Finally it seemed that the last of the other ship's crew had emptied on to the _Sakura-hime_, when Kiku noticed what had to be the captain. Tall, with golden hair and thick eyebrows, he was the epitome of pirate aristocracy: red coat littered with golden adornments, his gloved hands were covered in array jeweled rings, his black boots had to be of the finest finest polished leather. His hat was large, pulled down at cocked at angle so it covered part of his face, adorned with a single white feather. He strode on to the ship, pistol drawn and cutlass handle glinting in the sunlight. He gave a cocky smirk to his men before addressing the crew of the Sakura.

"Alright, where is your captain?" Kiku had only a mild understanding of English, picked up from when missionaries had stopped by the palace when they were younger. Their father, the emperor, had permitted them to teach Kiku and his siblings English, but that had been cut short when their father had caught the missionaries teaching them about some religion popular in the West. He had ordered them killed and outlawed the use of English as well as that religion. Lucky for him, the crew couldn't understand the pirate.

"Krm…" the pirate growled, unhappy with his lack of response. Quickly, he grabbed Yong Soo and held the pistol to his head. Kiku gasped as Yong Soo struggled against the captain's iron grip.

"I asked you all where your captain is! Answer me or the boy will die! I know at least one of you can understand English!" Raising his sword, Kiku stepped forward.

"I am the captain." Kiku said boldly. The pirate smirked again, letting out a small chuckle. He lowered his pistol from Yong Soo's head and pushed him to the ground. Yong Soo scrambled towards his brother's side.

"So you are the captain of this junk…tell me, Asian, what is your name?" Kiku hardened his gaze and answered.

"I am Kiku. What business do you have with our ship, pirate?" The pirate chuckled, stepping closer to Kiku.

"Kiku, eh? Doesn't that mean "chrysanthemum" in your language? Such a pretty name for such a, ah, pretty boy?" Kiku felt his anger rising. How dare this beast! First he attacks his ship, then threatens to kill his brother, and now this?

"I did not ask for your opinion of me, I asked your business. Now I will ask you once more, _what business do you have with our ship?_" The blond chuckled at Kiku's words.

"You're a feisty one, Kiku. I like that. Since you asked so sweetly, I'll tell you. I am Captain Kirkland and my business is robbing your ship of its treasure. Now, if you'd be as so kind to point me in the direction of your cargo hold, I will commence with relieving you of all your riches. If you cooperate and don't resist, I might consider not killing you all and burning your ship to ash." Kiku lowered his sword, he knew he'd been backed into a corner. Silently, he motioned to the direction of the cargo hold; watching in anger as Kirkland's men swarmed to it. He would let them take it and once they left, they would continue on to Siam, alert Mei Mei's fiancé of the attack as well as send word Wang to raise the imperial fleet and make these pirates pay for their insolence. The Siamese fleet was just as powerful as the Chinese navy. Kiku looked at Yong Soo and gave a small smile to assure him that he had this under control.

After what seemed like ages, Kirkland's crew had emptied out the hold of the Sakura and moved all its contents to the other ship. Kirkland smirked as he surveyed his newfound riches before strolling over to where Kiku and Yong Soo stood.

"Well, I believe I have pretty much gathered up all the treasure I came after…" Kirkland said cockily, looking at Kiku; the other man simply narrowed his eyes.

"I suppose so. Now will you please take your leave?" Kirkland chuckled before grasping Kiku's hand and bringing it towards his mouth. Kiku's eyes widened as Yong Soo gasped.

"I said I wasn't leaving until I had taken all of the treasure of this ship…now, Mr. Kiku, you will come with me or I _will_ have everyone on this ship killed, starting with your precious brother."

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Ooh! A cliffhanger!


	2. Chapter 2: Dinnertime

Ooh! Another chapter! :D

First, shout-out to all the folks who reviewed/added this to fav. stories or story alert/read it: THANK YOU SO MUCH! -tips hat- Much appreciated. So I'm going to dedicate this chapter to all of y'all [even if it is a bit on the sucky side. Sorry about that!] I will say upfront, there is a few bits in here that I, um, borrowed from Pirates of the Caribbean...-shifty eyes- anyway...let's get on with it!

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Hetalia.

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"The captain requests your presence at dinner, Mister Kiku." Kiku looked up from his spot in the hold where he was currently being kept. It really shouldn't have been a surprise to Kiku that a ship of this size came with a holding cell.

"Tell your captain that his request has been denied." The men who had been sent to retrieve Kiku sniggered.

"I don't think you understand, Mister Kiku, what we mean by 'request' is you will be at dinner with our captain. So I suggest you cooperate with us or it will not go very well for you, Mister Kiku." the taller of the two men growled. Kiku gave a heavy sigh, if he wanted to get out of this alive; he was going to have to cooperate to some extent. Slowly he got to his feet.

"Excellent, I'm glad that you see it our way." The taller one sneered as Kiku exited his cell, eyes downcast.

"Just one more thing Mister Kiku…the captain also asks that you wear this to dinner." The shorter of the goons snickered as he held up a light pink kimono, taken straight from Mei Mei's trousseau; Kiku glared as he snatched it out of the other man's grasp. He would wear the damn thing and have dinner with that…that _bastard_. He would give in for now until he could think of way to take his revenge.

* * *

Kiku lost count of how many times he had clenched his fists on the way to the captain's quarters. Apparently to get to their destination, they had to go through the galley where the rest of the crew was having dinner. He grew furious as he thought of the leering and crude remarks they had tossed at him as he was led through. _How dare this pirate make a mockery of him!_

"Come along, ahh, _Mister_ Kiku, the captain's quarters is right here." The taller man sneered before knocking at the large mahogany door.

"Captain Kirkland! Your guest has arrived!" The tall man opened the door and violently pushed Kiku inside before leaving. He could hear the loud braying of the two men's laughter.

The room was large, that was to be expected. There was a carved desk in one corner; across from it was a crimson damask chaise. Along one wall was a long, low bookcase; expensive knickknacks were arranged tastefully on top. Across from the bookcase was a low cabinet; next to the desk was another door, which Kiku guessed led to the captain's bedchambers. The room was swathed in crimson and gold coverings and the furniture was all of rich mahogany and above the cabinet was a full-length portrait of Captain Kirkland. And speaking of the captain…Captain Kirkland was seated in a carved, high-backed chair at a medium-sized table in the center of the room. He was still dressed in the same clothes as earlier, the only major difference was the hat was no longer perched jauntily on his head but posed on a marble bust; allowing Kiku to get a good look at the captain's face.

"Ah, Kiku, so kind of you to join me for dinner. You look lovely." Capt. Kirkland's expression was one of extreme arrogance and Kiku wanted nothing more than to punch it. Giving the blond a look that would have killed a weaker man, Kiku sat down across from the captain. The drink ware had to be of the most expensive crystal (probably stolen); the only difference between Kiku's place setting and Capt. Kirkland's setting is that instead of the sterling silver Western utensils, there was a pair of gold lacquered chopsticks. Once Kiku was comfortably situated, Capt. Kirkland snapped his fingers and two members of the crew entered the room with trays laden with fine china dishes (also stolen) filled with food as well as two bottles of rum. Once the food had been placed accordingly, Capt. Kirkland snapped his fingers again, signaling to the two men to take their leave, leaving Kiku alone with the captain.

"Rum, Kiku?" Capt. Kirkland asked, picking up the bottle and pouring a decent amount into his own glass. Kiku glared at him before carefully picking up his chopsticks. Kirkland merely smiled, pouring a bit of rum into the smaller man's glass.

"I hope you enjoy dinner…I asked the cook to try and prepare something to suit your tastes." Kiku didn't respond, only picking up a piece of meat and biting into it. The meat was very tender but the sauce managed to overpower the taste of the meat. Kirkland watched Kiku intently, taking a sip of his rum.

"Those chopsticks you're using? I picked them up in Singapore off an exiled Chinese magistrate. Paid far less than what they were worth, let me tell you. Practically stole it from him." Kiku glowered at Kirkland at that last part. Kirkland simply smirked.

"So I take it you're not much for conversation, huh?" Kiku shot another fierce look in his direction. "That's alright. I didn't bring you here for talking anyway, but I assume you'll open up to me in a bit." Kiku set his chopsticks down angrily.

"What do you want of me, _pirate_?" He spat. Kirkland grinned, there was something about the other man's defiance and anger that made him so appealing.

"Temper, temper, Kiku. That's no way to speak to your gracious host. I expected better manners from someone of your up bringing. You are the emperor's brother, after all." Kiku felt his blood boil at the mention of his brother. He stood up from the table and slammed his fists on the table; Kirkland looked unfazed.

"Do not speak of my brother!" The captain gave a slight scoff before telling Kiku to sit down.

"No! I will no longer cooperate with this! Tell me what you want of me or better yet, just let me go before I kill you!" Before Kiku had even realized what happened, Capt. Kirkland had risen from his seat and had crossed over to his side before grabbing Kiku's wrist and roughly turning Kiku to face him.

"Now, listen you," Kirkland snarled, "don't you ever, _ever_ threaten me again or I _will_ separate your pretty little head from your pretty little neck. That is a promise right there, love. Second, I'm pretty sure your question was already answered earlier when I told you that I was relieving your ship of its riches. I said I was taking all the treasures on the ship and that, _love_, includes you." Kiku tried to remove himself from the other man's grasp but Kirkland had an iron grip on his wrist; Kirkland merely forced Kiku closer to him.

"From this day on, you are now my possession. You belong to me and only me, alright?" Kiku shook his head and tried to escape the blonde's clutches. Tiring of his struggling, Kirkland raised his hand and struck Kiku sharply across the face, stunning him. Kirkland grabbed his face and leaned in close to his ear.

"Listen to me Kiku…you may struggle, you may rebel, you may try and fight back, but know this: I _always_ get what I want in the end. And what I want, is you. I will break you down if I have to, love, so consider yourself warned." Kiku stared at the captain with a look of utter loathing; he didn't think it was possibly to detest someone as much as he hated Captain Kirkland. Not caring about his lack of response, Kirkland began dragging Kiku towards the door.

"Come on, I'm taking you to your new quarters, where you'll be staying for the remainder of our journey or until you behave enough to sleep in here. Don't get any ideas about trying to escape, though. Door's going to be locked and there will be guards posted outside at all times, love."

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Wow, got a wee bit violent up in there! I'm going to try and have the next chapter up by Saturday, hopefully it'll be a bit longer. Again, thanks for reading! Y'all rock!


	3. Chapter 3: That Night

Kiku's new quarters were located not too far from Kirkland's own chambers; already standing outside the door were the same men who had escorted Kiku to dinner, both of them sporting matching lecherous grins upon seeing Kiku.

"Does the captain require a bit of privacy for tonight?" The taller one asked before snickering.

"Not tonight, Dawkins." Kirkland grinned before pushing Kiku into the room, "I'll be out in a bit." The door shut with a heavy thud and once again Kiku found himself alone with the captain.

"These are your new chambers for the time being, pet. Bed's right there, you've got a desk and chair, there's a bookcase over in the corner, vanity, chest, what have you…"Kiku barely heard the captain as he kept his eyes focused on the Persian rug in front of him. He wanted to die. First he had failed in delivering his sister's dowry and now he was the prisoner to this pirate.

"…and I will make sure you have proper clothes and what have you to wear each day and perhaps I might even allow you to start wearing Western clothes. Kiku, are you listening to me?" Kiku glanced up, pure contempt visible in his eyes, however, it did nothing to deter Kirkland from sweeping his bangs to the side to get a better look at his eyes.

"You have beautiful eyes, Kiku. Quite unlike any that I've seen before. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, now for your meals, you will take them with me in my quarters twice daily. I expect you to be there, dressed in what I have picked out for you, and on time. Lateness will not be tolerated. That goes for tea time as well. We will take tea in your quarters every day, four hours before dinner. I also expect you by my side every morning when I do inspection of the crew. And let me tell you right now, you _will not_ embarrass me in front of my crew. Is that clear?"

"Clear, _pirate_." Kiku said callously. Kirkland smirked at Kiku's words before grabbing Kiku's face again.

"That's another thing I want to address with you, love. When you are talking to me, you refer to me as 'Captain' or 'Captain Kirkland." Kirkland's breath was hot on his ear, making Kiku shudder at his words. "Even though you may not feel it, you will address me with some measure of respect. I will not have you disrespecting me aboard my own ship, got it?" Kiku gave a small nod, hoping that his compliance would be enough for Kirkland to remove his hand from his face; he was wrong, for Kirkland forcibly turned his face to meet his vibrant green eyes.

"Say it, pet…" Kirkland said huskily, stroking Kiku's cheek with his index finger; Kiku inwardly recoiled at Kirkland's caress. Swallowing hard, the smaller man gave a barely audible "Yes, Captain." Kirkland seemed satisfied, but that didn't stop him from continuing to touch the Asian man.

"Such smooth skin…almost like porcelain…" Kirkland murmured, tracing with his thumb the outline of Kiku's lower lip; Kiku was fighting the urge to pull away from Kirkland, knowing that at this point, it probably wouldn't do any good. Kirkland continued lightly running his thumb across the other man's lips before gently tipping Kiku's face up and kissing him softly. That time Kiku did try and pull away, struggling to get as far away from Kirkland as possible but it was for naught. Kirkland had an iron grip on Kiku's face and his other arm quickly snaked across his waist; his flailing only intensified when he felt Kirkland's slick tongue running across his pinched lips. Dissatisfied with Kiku's lack of enthusiasm during the kiss, Kirkland roughly pulled the other man's lips apart in order to allow his tongue entry so he could explore the wet heat that was Kiku's mouth. Kiku placed his hands on the pirate's shoulder in order to push him off, but that only caused Kirkland to pull Kiku closer to him, tongue probing deeper into his mouth. After what seemed like an eternity (but really only about a minute and a half) Kirkland finally pulled away from the revolted Kiku.

"Yes, I think a kiss will be a wonderful way to start as well as end the day…only instead of standing there like an idiot you _will_ be more active." Kirkland grinned, completely ignoring the look of pure disgust present on Kiku's face. Swallowing his revulsion, Kiku gave a quiet "Yes, captain" in order to placate the Brit.

"Excellent, you're catching on already. Such a quick learner…I bet your brother would be proud." Kiku felt the white-hot fury rising from the pit of his stomach, angry at the Captain for forcing him to become what looked like his whore as well as using his brother to mock him and angry at himself for allowing it to happen too easily. He resolved right then and there that he would not allow Kirkland to break him, no matter how hard the other man tried.

Kirkland chuckled to himself at the obvious discomfort he was causing Kiku. His defiance was rather endearing and there was something about how expressive those eyes were; he wondered how they looked when his eyes expressed an emotion other than anger or disgust, maybe such as happiness or lust…

Kirkland knew exactly how he was going to break Kiku. And when he did, he was going to make sure it left the other man wanting more. He would only use force if need be and he was going to definitely make sure Kiku enjoyed it. It was never really any fun if only one person was enjoying it. Scourge of the seven seas he was, but even he had his limits. He preferred it when both parties were enjoying themselves, thank you very much.

"Alright Kiku, tomorrow's going to be a long day. Might want to get to bed, love. I would hate for you to be tired at breakfast tomorrow. Good-night, my pet." Kirkland said before leaving the room, allowing the door to shut with a loud thud before locking him in his room for the night.

Alone, Kiku allowed himself to collapse against the large Western-style bed. He was so ashamed at how he allowed himself to be made prisoner by this pirate. He was the prince, the emperor's brother, one of his nation's finest soldiers and now he was being reduced to position of common whore. He did take comfort in knowing that the Sakura was only a day's journey from Siam when they had been ambushed, so within a few days Yong Soo and Mei Mei's fiancé will have raised a fleet to come rescue him. When they did, he would make sure he took his revenge on the captain, though at this rate, it looked like he was going to have a hard time doing it before they rescued him.

* * *

Kiku awoke the next morning after an uneasy sleep; with all that had happened to him the previous day coupled with not being used to sleeping in a Western bed had made for a night of hard sleep. He sat up in the bed and noticed that someone had come in earlier and left him fresh clothes. His heart sunk when he saw that it was another one of Mei Mei's kimonos; so they were raiding his only sister's trousseau, the uncouth scum. Reluctantly, he got dressed, blanching when he noticed that it was Mei Mei's favorite: a deep ocean blue with a large white crane on the bottom and a slate-grey obi. It was a little difficult for him to do the obi but after awhile he had it done in a simple knot. Making sure that he had put on everything, he glanced down and noticed a comb decorated with blue and white flowers as well dangling tear-drop shaped crystals. Kiku clenched his fists, first he had to wear his sister's kimono and now he was expected to wear decorations in his hair, like a little girl? Angrily, he snatched the decoration up and placed it in his hair before stomping off to the door. Not a moment too soon before the men outside his room unlocked and opened the door.

"Good morning Mr. Kiku," it was the same men who had escorted him to dinner last night, "don't you look like a right china doll this morning." His companion chuckled before roughly grabbing Kiku by the arm and dragging down the hall.

"Come along Mr. Kiku, we would hate for you to be late." The shorter man chuckled.

"Yeah, especially with you looking as pretty as you do," the taller one leered as they stopped outside of Kirkland's room. Kiku waited for them to open the door, but instead they simply smiled at him.

"He really is a pretty one, isn't he, Dawkins?" The shorter man said, letting his eyes linger on Kiku.

"That he is, Sampson. Such a shame the captain's gonna keep him all to himself." Dawkins said. Kiku blanched, this was truly turning into a hellish experience, first the captain and now these two goons. After a few more seconds of ogling on Dawkins and Sampson's part, Dawkins finally knocked on the door to signal their arrival.

Almost immediately, the heavy door opened to reveal the captain, who seemed to be anticipating Dawkins' knock. He smiled at Kiku before reaching out to grab his hand.

"Ah, Kiku, you look beautiful this morning." Kirkland said, kissing the other man's hand gently. Dawkins and Sampson chortled at Kiku, who was beginning to turn bright red. He glared at the captain, but Kirkland paid him no attention.

"Well, gentlemen, if you'll excuse my lovely companion and me, it's breakfast time. Perhaps you two should head to the galley before inspection, yes?" Kirkland smiled, before pulling Kiku closer to him and wrapping his arms around the other man. If the look Kiku was giving the captain able to kill…

"Aye, captain. Please, enjoy your meal with your little _flower_, hehe." Dawkins said before he and Sampson dissolved into loud guffaws before leaving. Kirkland nodded before pulling Kiku in the room and shutting the door. Kiku noted that Kirkland still had his arm draped around his waist.

"I hope you don't mind, but breakfast is going to be a bit light today. Cook's seasick again, poor devil." Kirkland said, guiding Kiku over to the table and pulling out his chair, he accepted it with a slight nod before gracefully arranging himself in the chair; Kirkland smiled before taking his own seat.

Breakfast was a rather uninteresting event, Kirkland chattered away about his exploits, Kiku every now and then giving a quiet "Yes, Captain" while trying to concentrate at eating his food. Soon the meal was over and Kiku found himself being pulled to his feet and led out the door.

"Alright, you, it's time for morning inspection. Now, I don't expect you to do anything but look pretty, which should come naturally to you. Don't say anything to anyone unless I tell you to, okay love? And as I stated last night, do not embarrass me in front of my men or you _will_ find yourself in some serious trouble." Kirkland instructed as they headed to the deck.

"Yes, captain." Kiku sighed, trying to ignore Kirkland's hand on the small of his back.

"That's a good pet." Before Kiku could fathom what was happening, for the second time in a span of 24 hours, Kirkland's lips were on his and his arms were slowly wrapping around his slim waist. Kiku wanted to struggle, to fight back and defend himself against this uncouth pirate, but he knew in his heart that in order for him to get out of this alive and take his revenge, he would have to cooperate. He closed his eyes and awkwardly draped his arms on Kirkland's shoulders, trying to make it appear that Kirkland's kiss was having an effect other than extreme disgust on him. Kirkland smiled against Kiku's lips before parting his lips and slipping his tongue through the other man's slack lips. Kiku was desperately fighting the urge to bite him. After a bit, Kirkland pulled away, looking quite satisfied with himself.

"Well, that was a bit better than last night, but you could definitely stand to improve. Tell me, was that your first time being kissed?" Kiku was definitely fighting the urge to blush. Back home, Kiku did not have time to bother with _kissing_ and _relationships_ like his younger brothers. He had a military to run, thank you very much. And besides, he was pretty sure that he had an engagement to some other emperor's daughter in the making thanks to his brother Yao, though now, after being kissed _twice_, he wasn't so sure how proper it would be now. He studied the floor; desperate to keep the blush off his cheeks, and gave a quiet "Yes Captain." If it was even possible, Kirkland's smirk got bigger.

"So you're inexperienced, eh pet? Don't worry; I'll make sure I change that." He chuckled, grabbing Kiku by the waist and leading him on. They finally made it to the deck where Kirkland's men were gathered, all of them standing in a row by height order. From what Kiku could see, the deck looked as immaculate as a ship could be. With the exception of the two goons that guarded him, the crew seemed to be as disciplined as his own.

"Look sharp, men! We've got ourselves a guest!" Kirkland ordered, pulling Kiku towards him. "Doesn't he look lovely?" Kiku felt his face grow hot as the crew began leering and whistling at him, making crude jokes about him. Kirkland seemed to relish in the obvious discomfort he was feeling.

"Now, now, boys, is that anyway to treat our newest member of the crew? Crude jokes and cat-calling? Especially with someone so…"innocent" as my dear Kiku?" Now Kiku was really mortified, Kirkland was trying to rile him up on purpose. He knew he shouldn't pay the crew's teasing any mind, but it still made him angry. He was a soldier, the brother of Wang Yao the Sun-Emperor, tentatively next in line to the throne, and here he was being ridiculed by thieves and crooks.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Kirkland finally calmed the crew down so they could get on with the inspection. It was not unlike the morning inspections of the Sakura-hime: roll call with everyone present minus one (cook was still feeling sea-sick,) a quick run-down of what needed to be done on the ship, the reporting of any problems (one of the cannons wasn't working, Kirkland said they'd get it looked over at the next port town they came to). It was quite brief, lasting may twenty or so minutes, before Kirkland dismissed the men, all of them saluting the good captain (and giving Kiku many a lecherous grin) before heading back to their duties. Kiku stood on his guard next Kirkland, anticipating the blond man's next move. Kirkland merely smiled down at him before brushing his lips against his forehead. Kiku fought the urge to visibly shrink away.

"Don't let their teasing get to you, love, you're the probably the prettiest thing they've seen in a long while. It's all in good fun." Somehow, Kirkland's words did nothing to reassure him.

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Sorry about the delay, its been really hectic on my end lately. This chapter went through several re-writes and I'm still not happy with it orz. Oh well. Thanks to everyone who read/reviewed/faved/alerted/what have you. Please continue to read and review!


	4. An Idea

**Whoa, I am so sorry about the complete lack of updates! Life has been hectic this past year but now that summer has arrived, I hope I can continue with the updates. Thanks to everyone who has kept up!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Hetalia_.**

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The rest of the morning was rather uneventful; after Kirkland had made his rounds (with Kiku by his side, of course) he had personally escorted the Asian man back to his quarters with the promise of tea in a few hours before locking him in. Kiku sighed, he was alone again in this room with nothing to occupy his time except for some books written in English. _Perhaps there is some paper and ink…_Kiku thought to himself sadly. Lucky for him, there was a few sheets of fine ivory paper, a small pot of black ink, but instead of a brush, there was a beautiful swan feather quill pen. He frowned, he hadn't used one of those since he was a small child, the missionaries used them instead of brushes to teach them English. Kiku knew that whatever he drew would not be as good; he would just have to keep reminding himself that the purpose was not perfection, but something to occupy his mind while in this prison. Determinedly, he sat down at the carved desk and picked up the quill, dipping it in the inkpot and gracefully began to draw.

Time passed quickly and after awhile, Kiku had sketched out four drawings: one of the palace in winter, a copy of the royal portrait of Mei Mei and Kim-Anh wearing their family kimonos (black, with a large dragon circling the sun, the crest of the Sun throne), a lovely sketch of a blooming sakura tree, and the last, a drawing of Pochi, the little dog his mother had gifted him. Kiku was well on his way sketching out a drawing of Yao in his official robes when there came a hesitant knock at the door. It was so quiet that Kiku almost didn't hear it. Sighing, he put down the quill and waited for whomever it was to enter. Though, it was different. Normally, whoever it was would just barge in without a word otherwise, but this time, it seemed as though the person on the other side was _waiting for permission_. Kiku was perplexed, this was very unusual; he gave a hesitant "come in" and waited for the door to open.

The door opened to reveal what appeared to be a sweet-looking young man pushing a small cart laden down with tea things. He gave Kiku a small smile before slowly pushing the cart into the room. Kiku shut the door and followed the man over to the small table, which he was beginning to set.

The boy had wavy blond hair with a slight curl at ends with a long curl that stuck out from the top of his head and came down in front of his face. He bespectacled eyes were a bright violet color and he was only slightly taller than Kiku. He was dressed rather simply: starched white linen shirt, dark blue vest, and dark colored trousers. He didn't seem like the other members of the crew who were loud and crude, he seemed quiet and rather shy. Kiku cleared his voice slightly, catching his attention, and bowed. The boy seemed slightly confused before giving Kiku an awkward bow in return.

"F-f-forgive me," the boy began, speaking in a quiet, accented voice, "I should've introduced myself before barging in. My name is Matthie-I mean Matthew. It is very nice to meet you." Matthew smiled and Kiku couldn't help smiling in return. Matthew was the first kind face he had encountered since he had been on this ship.

"It is alright, Matthew-san. I am Honda Kiku. I am pleased to meet you as well." Matthew continued setting out the tea things while Kiku returned to his sketches, both of them sporting matching small smiles.

After a bit, the small table was set and Matthew was preparing leave when he noticed one of Kiku's sketches.

"Did you draw these?" Matthew asked softly; Kiku nodded in reply.

"They are very good. I like them." Kiku smiled before murmuring a quiet thanks. Matthew gave another bow before excusing himself and locking the door, leaving Kiku alone again.

His solitude was short-lived when he heard the familiar turn of the key and he knew that it was the captain, coming to take tea with him. Kiku quickly gathered up his artwork and hid them in the desk drawer, not wanting Kirkland to see them. Just as he finished shutting the drawer, the door to his quarters opened with a flourish, revealing the captain.

"Good afternoon, love." Kirkland said as entered the room, shutting and locking the door behind him. Kiku sighed and gave a reluctant "good afternoon, captain" in return. Kirkland gave a feral grin before strolling over to where Kiku was standing, wrapping his arms around the smaller man and pulling him close.

"I hope you managed to keep yourself busy during my absence, love." he whispered in Kiku's ear before pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. Kiku grimaced at the contact, before carefully attempting to extract himself from Kirkland's grasp.

"Captain, we do not want the tea things to get cold." Kiku said. Kirkland smiled before giving the Asian another kiss and escorting him over to the dining set.

"Of course, love." he said before pulling out Kiku's chair and pushing him roughly into it. Kiku huffily pushed himself to the table before giving the captain a look of utter loathing. Kirkland shrugged before gracefully depositing himself into his own chair, picking up the teapot and pouring Kiku some tea.

"I've said it before, you are a lively one, Kiku. Just my luck that I like my _women_ feisty." For the umpteenth time since he had been on this ship, Kiku felt his anger rise. He knew that he should ignore all of Kirkland's remarks, but to refer to him as a woman was truly pushing it. He clenched his fist and glared.

"What's wrong, pet? Hear something that you didn't like?" Kirkland sneered, pouring himself a cup. It was taking all of Kiku's willpower not to react to Kirkland's baiting.

"Nothing, _Captain_." Kiku said tersely.

"Very well then. Scone? The boy made them. He's quite handy in the kitchen." Kiku took one, if only because it was Matthew who prepared them. He had barely met the child but Kiku felt a kindred connection with him.

"So, Kiku, within the next few days we should be coming up on Singapore, where we'll make port and stock up. If you can behave yourself, I might consider letting you leave the ship." Kirkland said conversationally, buttering his scone. Kiku looked up hopefully. _Singapore?_ Suddenly an idea formed in his mind: if he cooperated, he would be able to leave the ship, probably in the care of the two goons. It would be easy to subdue them and escape, and then he could lie low and wait for the next boat back to the kingdom.

"Yes…just don't get any ideas, pet." Kirkland said, reading his mind. Kiku stared defiantly at the other man. He would be damned if Kirkland thought he _wasn't_ going to try and escape.

"I have no clue what the Captain is talking about." He said blankly.

"Then don't worry about it, love. Just make sure to behave yourself."

* * *

Once they had finished tea, Kirkland left before giving him instructions for dinner: Dawkins and Sampson would escort him and to make sure he looked presentable. Not even five minutes after Kirkland had exited the room, Matthew was entering the room.

"Ah, konnichiwa Matthew-san. Let me help you clean up." Kiku said, moving to gather up the tea things.

"Oh, you don't have to…" Matthew said, shooing Kiku away from the table.

"I insist, Matthew-san. It is no trouble." Kiku said, grabbing a few dishes and handing them to the other boy. Matthew blushed before taking the offered cups.

"Merci—I mean, thank you."

"I don't know if you can tell, but I am not an Englishman." Matthew said, noting Kiku's puzzled expression.

"My father, his ship was attacked by Captain Kirkland a few years ago. Took everything he had." Matthew said sadly.

"I understand Matthew-san. The very same thing happened to me a few days ago." Kiku said, looking at the drawer where his sketches were.

"I keep hoping that one day, I'll be able to get off this ship and find my father. But every time we dock, the Captain makes me stay in the galley with the cook." Mathew said wishfully. Kiku gasped, suddenly struck with an idea. Matthew glanced at him, a puzzled look on his face.

"Is everything okay?" Kiku waved his hand, indicating everything was fine.

"Matthew-san, I have just had an idea, but I need to work out the details. Will I see you again later today?" Kiku asked.

"I'm certain. I am supposed to bring you your evening clothes…." Matthew said, still confused.

"Excellent. When you arrive, I will tell you then."

* * *

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